Bundle ejector



Feb. 25, 1964 J. LOPEZ EIAL 3,122,242

BUNDLE EJECTOR Filed March 27, 1961 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 1NVENTOR3. .ro/m/ zo rz 2 Feb. 25, 1964 J. LOPEZ ETAL 3,122,242

BUNDLE EJECTOR Filed March 27. 1961 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. fOH/V zap/52 Feb. 25, 1964 J. LOPEZ ETAL 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 ENTORS Jo/m/ z OPEZ Z, W MM ATTORA/E'Yj INV Feb. 25, 1964 J, LOPEZ EI'AL BUNDLE EJECTOR 7 Sheets$he et 4 Filed March 27, 1963 FIG. 4

INVENTORS. JOHN LOPE'Z 146363219511 1 A ZLEV 02W; WJM

ATTO/P/VEKS -Feb; 25, 1964 J. LOPEZ ETAL 3,122,242

BUNDLE EJECTOR Filed March 27, 1961 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 6

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Feb. 25, 1964 Filed March 7, 1961 J. LOPEZ ETAL BUNDLE EJEC'I'OR 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTORS. JOHN L OPE'Z HAPSCKELZ W K6119 Feb. 25, 1964 Filed March 27, 1961 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 FIG. /2

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INVENTORS United States Patent EIEQTOR John Lopez, Westfield, and Herscheli W. Kelley, Middle hush, Nl, assignors to Universal Corrugated Box Machinery @011? Linden, Ni, a corporation of New Jersey Mar. 27, 1%1, Ser. No, 3 8,633

3 'Jlaims. (ill. 214-6) This invention relates to the art of corrugated folded box processing equipment and more particularly to an equipment for successively forming aligned stacks or bundles of folded boxes, each stack containing a predetermined number of boxes.

As conducive to an understanding of the invention it is to be noted that folded boxes are formed from processing equipment that is generally a continuously operating line, i.e., the e is no interruption between the insertion of the box blank into the folding equipment to the final completion of the article.

Where, after the box blanks have been folded and glued to form a folded box, they then must be manually removed, counted, and formed into a uniform or aligned stack or bundle that is tied up with suitable cord by an operator for shipment to the packager, since the completed folded boxes are discharged at a relatively high rate of speed, such manual removal, counting and the formation of the uniform bundle is an extremely time-consuming operation, requiring many personnel and adding great- 13 to the cost of the completed article.

in addition, where the counting is manually performed, errors may result, i.e., there may be either too few or too many folded boxes in a bundle which is undesirable.

It is accordingly among the objects of the invention to provide an equipme t that is relatively simple in operation, that will operate at a relatively high rate of speed, and may readily be positioned at the end of a continuously operating production line and which will receive the folded boxes as they are discharged at a relatively high rate of speed, count such folded boxes and form a uniform and even stack of such boxes, each containing a predetermined number and eject such stack or bundle, while still retaining its uniform arrangement, all without any manual operation whatsoever.

According to the invention, these objects are accomplished by the arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter described and more particularly recited in the claims. 7

In the accompanying drawings in which are shown one or more of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the equipment,

FIG. 1A is a fragmentary perspective View of the gate member,

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the equipment,

PEG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2,

FlG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 44 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 5 is a sectional View taken along inc 55 of a n rlu. 2,

FIG. 6 is a sectional view with parts broken away taken along line 5-5 of PEG. 2,

7 is a diagrammatic view showing the photoelec ic control cells,

FIG. 8 is a detail sectional view taken along line 8-8 Of 16. 3,

FIG. 9 is a View taken alon line 9 of KG. 2 showing the pusher assembly,

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along the line ill-l0 of FIG. 9,

FIG. ll is a top plan View of the pusher assembly with parts broken away,

FIG. 12 is a circuit diagram illustrating another embodiment of the invention, and

FIG. 13 is a diagrammatic view of still another embodiment thereof.

Referring now to the drawings, as shown in FIGS. 1,

2 and 4, the equipment comprises a substantially rectangular frame ll having rigidly connected end beams =13 and 14 and side beams 15 and lo, the frame being mounted on suitable legs 17.

Extending parallel to side beam 15, as is clearly shown PEG. 4, and spaced therefrom is an L beam 13 having one end secured to end beam 13, and its other end secured to a beam 19 that extends parallel to end beam 14 and is spaced therefrom, the ends of beam 19 being secured to side beams 15 and do.

As shown in Fl 3, the beam 13 rotatably mounts one end of a plurality of spaced parallel rollers 21, the other ends of the rollers being rotatably mounted on a beam 2 2 secured to side beam 16. The rollers 31 which define a conveyor, are so mounted that the upper shrfaces thereof are slightly above the horizontal plane of the frame ll.

Elecured to the side beam l3 and the intermediate beam 19, as shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and i0, and extending longitudinally thereof are pairs of spaced parallel tracks 25, 26. no tracks serve as a slidable mount for a pair of spaced parallel support plates 27, 2% as shown in FIGS. 1, 4 vand 5.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the lower edge of each plate on its outer surface mounts a plurality of rollers 31 which ride between the associated pair of tracks, said tracks preferably being grooved to guide such rollers.

Secured as by welding to the top surface of the beam '15 near each end, as is clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is an upstanding support, illustratively plates 32, 33. Extending between the rigidly mounted plates 32 and 33 and the movable pair of plates 27 and 23 respectively are elongated bars and 35 secured at their ends to the associated plates, rigidly to connect each pair of plates together, the bar 35 and plates 27, 28 forming a movable frame 49.

Extending between the upper ends of plates 2'7, 23 and secured to the inner edges thereof as by welding is an elongated plate 37, the upper portion 33 of which is tapered outwardly. The lower vertical portion of the plate 37 is perforated as at 39, for the purpose hereinafter described.

-Positioned between the upper ends of fixed support plates 32 and 33 is a frame 41, illustratively comprising two vertically spaced elongated L beams 42, 43.

Secured to the ends of the beams 43 are plates 45 each of which, as shown in FIGS. 2, 5, mounts a horizontal sleeve 46 through which extends a shaft 4-7, of diamete considerably smaller than the bore of sleeve 46. Each shaft is supported at its ends by bracket 48 sec red to the associated support plate 32 and 33. Desirably, a resilient gasket 49* is provided at each end of each of the sleeves as is shown, to per. it horizontal movement of the frame 41 when a vibrator 51 secured to the frame is energized.

Extending between the plates 45 and secured to the inner edges thereof is an elongated plate 52; substantially identical to the plate 37, said two plates 37, 52 extending parallel to each 0th r in the same horizontal plane and defining a hopper inlet 53.

Means are provided to effect movement of the frame 4% toward and away from the frame 41. Thus, each of the plates 27, 23 on the inner wall thereof mounts a block 54 which has a horizontal bore therethrough threaded to receive adjusting screws 55 and 56 as is clearly shown in FIG. 4. The adjusting screws extend transversely between the side beams and 16 and are suitably mounted so that they can be rotated in unison. To this end, as shown in F168. 2 and 4, the ends of the screws extending through the beam 15 each mounts a sprocket wheel 57 connected by a sprocket chain 58, an adjustable idler sprocket 59 reacting against sprocket chain 58 to take up slack therein. The screw 56, in addition, mounts a sprocket wheel 61 which is connected by sprocket chain 62 to drive sprocket 63 suitably rotatable through a reduction gear by motor M supported on the frame. Thus, upon rotation of the screws by the transmission above described, the frame 45 including the plates 27, 23 and the bar carried thereby can be moved in unison toward or away from the frame 41 as desired.

Movably mounted on each of the elongated bars and 35 is a drive assembly 64.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, each assembly comprises a pair of vertical spaced parallel strips 66, 66 having a horizontal plate 67 rigidly secured to the upper ends thereof, said vertical strips 66, 66 being located outwardly of the parallel plates 37, 52 which define the hopper inlet 53 as is clearly shown in FIG. 3.

The parallel strips also have an intermediate plate 68 secured thereto to the undersurface of which a bearing 69 is mounted as shown in FIG. 2.

Mounted on the upper plate 67 is a drive motor 71 which, through a right angie transmission 72, drives a shaft 73 which extends through the associated bearing 69. A vertical roller 74 is secured to the lower end of each shaft 73 beneath said bearings, the lower end of each drive roller being just slightly above the plane of the top surface of the rollers 21, as is clearly shown in FIG. 2.

Each of the drive assemblies has an elongated strip 75 (FIGS. 1, 2) secured to the outer surface of its parallel strips 66, 66' said strips 75 mounting a roller 76 at each end which rides in an elongated groove '77 in the top surface of the bars 34 and 35 respectively. A single intermediate roller 7 8 is mounted near the top surface of a plate 79 secured to strips 66, 66', said roller '78 riding in an elongated groove 81 along the bottom of the bar. The drive assembly is thus maintained in vertical position free to move along the bars when driven in the manner now to be described.

As shown in FIG. 3, each of the plates 79 directly beneath the intermediate roller 78 has a block 82 secured thereto, which has a threaded horizontal bore through which extends a screw shaft 83. One end of each of the screw shafts is mounted in a suitable bearing in the associated plate 27 or 33 as the case may be, and the other end of the shaft extends through a bore in the associated plate 28 or 32.

Each of such extending ends of the shafts S3 is operably connected to a motor 84 mounted on the plates 28, 32 respectively. As shown in FIG. 2, said motors, through suitable transmission, drive the associated shafts 83 when energized, to rotate the latter in unison in desired direction thereby effecting movement of the drive assemblies 64 along their separate bars 34 and 35.

With the equipment thus far described, it is apparent that depending upon the size of the folded box to be stacked, the side plate 37 may be moved toward and away from the side plate 52 to define a hopper inlet 53 of desired size and the drive assemblies 64 may be moved toward and away from the plates 28, 32.

In order to guide the folded boxes as they are discharged into the hopper inlet 53 between plates 37, 52, each of the upright plates 28, 32 has secured to the inner edge thereof an elongated vertical inwardly extending strip 91, as is clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 6 which in conjunction with the inner edges of plates 28, 32 form the front corners of the hopper. In addition, there is secured to the vertical strips es of each of the drive assemblies 64, a horizontal arm 92 which lies in a plane slightly below that of the lower edge of the side plates 37, 52.

The outer end of each of said horizontal arms 92 mounts a vertical strip 93 which extends inwardly of plates 37, 52 and against which the folded boxes will initially abut as they are successively discharged into the inlet 53 of the equipment.

As is clearly shown in FIGS. 1, 1A, 3 and 6, a vertical strip 95 is secured at each of its ends to one of the strips 66 of each of the drive assemblies 64, with the upper edge of each strip 95 positioned below the lower edge of an associated plate 37, 52 as shown in FIG. 3. The strips 95 are parallel to each other and in the same vertical plane as the lower portions of plates 37, 52 and form opposed sides of the hopper down which the boxes will drop, the lower ends of strips 95 being but slightly spaced from the rollers 21, the portion of which below the inlet 53 defines the base of the hopper.

Referring to FIGS. 1A and 6, the rear of each of the strips 95 at each end has a block 96 secured thereto, between which is pivotally mounted an elongated gate member 98. As shown in FIG. 6, the gate member comprises a substantially L-shaped strip having a tubular portion 99 at the edge of one of the legs 1111 thereby, by means of which the gate member is pivotally mounted between blocks 96. The tubular portion has an outwardly extending finger 162 to which one end of a coil spring 103 is secured, the other end of the spring being secured to the strip 65. Thus, the gate member will be urged so that the leg 1631 thereof will abut against the rear of strip 95 with the leg 194 of the gate member extending inwardly as shown in FIG. 6 beneath the horizontal strip 92, the strips 95 and legs 16d forming the rear corners of the hopper.

Means are provided to interrupt stacking of the boxes on the rollers 21 as they are discharged into the hopper inlet 53 defined by the side plates 37, 52. To this end, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, for example, an L-shaped bracket 1% is secured to each of the upright plates 23, 32 below the plane of the lower edge of the side plates 37 and 52. Mounted on each of the brackets in opposed relation is a horizontal air cylinder 167, each of which has a plunger 108 having a tapering end 109, said plunger being adapted to be moved into and out of the cylinder in a horizontal plane when the cylinder is actuated.

In addition, a similar bracket 111 is mounted on each of the vertical strips 65 of the drive assembly, each of said brackets also mounting air cylinders 112 in opposed relation. The plungers 113 of said cylinders 112 each mounts an elongated strip 114 at its free end, the

plungers 108 and 113 all being in the same horizontal plane.

To support the strips 114, each has an arm 115 secured thereto which extends through an aperture in the associated bracket 111, the latter having a roller rotatably mounted thereon to facilitate movement of the arm 115 through such aperture.

Means are provided to advance a stack of folded boxes that have been deposited on the rollers 21. To this end, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 10, a pusher assembly is provided comprising a carriage 118, illustratively U- shaped as shown. One of the depending legs of the carriage mounts a single roller 119 which rides between the tracks 26. The other depending leg mounts a pair of rollers 121 which ride between a pair of tracks 122, mounted on the beam 14.

The cross piece of the carriage 118 mounts a pair of upstanding legs 123 to the upper ends of which is secured a horizontal plate 124 to which is secured an air cylinder 125 extending at right angles to the tracks as shown in FIG. 11.

Secured to the plunger 126 of the air cylinder 125 is an elongated substantially rectangular plate 127, the lower edge of which is slightly above the plane of the rollers 21.

The plate on its rear surface has a pair of spaced parallel arms 128 extending rearwardly therefrom and which mount rollers 129 that ride along the horizontal plate 124 thereby preventing tilting of the plate when it reacts against the stack of folded boxes in the manner to be described.

Means are provided to move the pusher assembly along the tracks 26, 12-2 so that it is substantially midway between the plates 37, 52 regardless of the spacing therebetween.

To this end, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 10, a block 131 is secured to the undersurface of the carriage 1-18 and has a threaded horizontal bore through which extends crew shaft 132. One end of the screw shaft 132 is rigidly mounted in a bearing 133 secured to a strut 134 between beans 14 and 19, and the other end extends through the beam 15 and mounts a sprocket wheel 135 that is connected by sprocket chain 136 to a sprocket wheel 137 on screw shaft 56.

The sprocket wheel 135 illustratively is twice the diameter of sprocket wheel 137 so that the movement of the pusher assembly will be at half the rate of the movement of the plates 27, 28.

Thus, as screw shaft 56 is rotated to change the spacing between the side plates 37, 52 depending upon the width of the folded boxes to be accommodated, the screw shaft 132 will also be rotated to adjust the position of the pusher assembly.

In order to effect counting of the folded boxes as they are discharged into the outlet 53 defined by the side plates 3'7, 52 by a suitable conveyor 141 and also to control the operation of the equipment in timed sequence, a pair of photoelectric cells 142, 143 and associated transversely aligned light sources 142', 143 are desirably provided.

As shown in FIG. 7, the photoelectric cell 142 and associated light source 142' are mourned respectively on the plates 37, 52 near the lower edges thereof spaced from the horizontal plane of plungers 1%, 113 by a distance sufiicient to accommodate say 7 to 10 folded boxes. The photoelectric cell 143 and associated light source 143 are mounted respectively on the plates 37, 52 near the upper edge thereof.

Operation The equipment above described is designed to form a stack containing a predetermined number of folded boxes B and thereupon to eject such stack in uniform arrangement without any misalignment while still continuing to count folded boxes as they are discharged from the conveyor 141 which leads from the folding and gluing equipment, for example.

The equipment is first adjusted to accommodate the folded box that is being processed. To this end, for example, the motor M, FIG. 2, is energized to rotate the screws 55, 56, to move frame 49 toward frame 41 so that the side plate 37 will be spaced from the side plate 52 by a distance sufficient to accommodate the folded box being processed. Rotation of the screw 56 by the motor M will also effect rotation of the screw 132 so that the pusher assembly plate 127 will be positioned midway between the side plates 37, 52 which define the inlet to the hopper.

Thereupon, the motors 84 are energized to rotate the screws 83, so as to space the drive assemblies 64 from the upstanding plates 28, 32 also by a distance to accommodate the folded boxes being processed.

The foregoing setting of the equipment will thus define a vertical hopper, i.e., the side plates 37, 52 will define the inlet to the hopper; the upstanding strips 91 and plates 28, 32 will define the front corners of the hopper and the upstanding strips 95 and vertical legs 194 of the gate members will define the rear corners of the hopper, all as clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 6.

When the photoelectric cells 142 and 143 are initially energized by the associated light sources 142' and 143 through conventional circuitry (not shown) the air 5 cylinders 107 and 112 will be positioned to have their plungers 108, 113 in extended position as shown in FIG. 6.

Thereupon, the conveyor 141, shown in FIG. 2, which carries the folded boxes, in conjunction with roller 141' is energized successively to eject folded boxes in substantially a horizontal plane into the inlet 53 of the hopper.

As the boxes are successively ejected, their leading edges will first abut against the upstanding abutments 93 and then each box will drop by gravity past the photoelectric cells 143 and 142 onto the extended plungers 108 and 113, the openings 39 in plates 37, 52 venting the air beneath the box so that the latter will drop readily. As the individual boxes drop by gravity past the photoelectric cell 143, a count will be effected on a suitable electrical or electronic counter (not shown). As the box falls past the photoelectric cell 142, since it will only interrupt the source of light to said photoelectric cell momentarily, it will have no effect on the circuits controlled by said photoelectric cell 142 which are set to require an interruption of the light thereto furnished by light source 142 for a greater period than will be provided by a momentary passing of a box past said photoelectric cell 142.

As boxes continue to be discharged into the hopper, the photoelectric cell 143 will count such boxes. After say, seven to ten folded boxes have been deposited on the extended plungers 108, 113 and have built up a stack, they will rise to a level above the horizontal plane of tie photoelectric cell to interrupt the source of light 'rereto. This interruption is for a sufficient period to permit the circuits controlled by photoelectric cell 142 to function.

As a result of such continued interruption of light to photoelectric cell 142, a circuit will be completed to ac uate the air clinders id? and 112 to retract the plungers thereof. As a result, the. stack of boxes thus far built up will drop by gravity downwardly until they rest on the portion of rollers 21 that form the base of hopper, being guided downwardly by the four corners of the hopper.

Due to the weight of the stack thus formed, it will fall dependably onto the rollers 21 without floating, which might cause misalignment of the box blanks. In other words, if the boxes were permitted to fall separately the entire depth of the hopper, such boxes, due to their relatively large area, would float downwardly rather slowly and tend to be misaligned. This is avoided by the fact that a relatively heavy stack is first built up before the boxes are permitted to drop the entire length of the hopper.

During the course of the dropping of the stack thus formed boxes will continue to be discharged into the hopper from the conveyor 14d without interruption, and

such box blanks will also be counted by the photoelectric cell 14%.

Due to the fact that the stack of boxes initially formed will talte up a portion of the depth of the hopper, subsequent boxes discharged into the hopper and dropping individually by gravity, will have less distance to travel downwardly and hence likelihood of misalignment due to any floating action will be greatly minimized due to the decrease in distance that such boxes must fall.

By reason of the fact that the four corners of the hopper guide the boxes in their downward movement, a uniform and neat stack will be built up on the rollers 31.

After a predetermined number of folded boxes have passed the photoelectric cell 143, the counter controlled by such photoelectric cell will cause the air cylinders i537 and 112 to be ac uated to extend their plun gers and 113. Thereupon, subsequent folded boxes discharged into the hopper inlet 53 will be intercepted by such plungers to build a new stack thereon. After a predetermined period of time after the plungers have been extended,

suflicient to permit the last box blank that has fallen below the plane of the plungers to reach the stack built up on rollers 21, through suitable control circuits, the air cylinder 125 of the pusher assembly will be actuated. As a result, the plate 127 thereof will be moved to react against the trailing edges of the stack resting on rollers 21 to move such stack forwardly. Such movement of the stack reacting against the vertical legs 194 of the gate members 98, will cause such gate members to pivot against the tension of the coil spring 193 and the stack will move past said pivoted gate members, between the drive rollers 74 which are continuously driven by motors 71.

7 As shown in PEG. 6, the rollers 74- are spaced by a distance such that they will grip the side edges of the stacked folded boxes therebetween, thereby rapidly advancing such stack to move the latter out of vertical alignment with the hopper. Since the stack is tightly gripped by such rollers it will be retained in alignment and slide along the rollers 21 to be discharged from the equipment onto a suitable conveyor from which they can be removed for tying and shipment.

The equipment is so timed that as soon as the stack of folded boxes is engaged by the drive rollers 74, the plunger 126 of the air cylinder :125 will be retracted to move the plate 127 thereof back to its original position clear of the hopper. Such retraction of the plate 127 of the pusher assembly is timed to occur prior to the stack that is being simultaneously built up on the extended plungers .198 and 113, reaching the level of the photoelectric cell 142. When such stack does reach such level, the plungers 1G8 and 1-13 will again be retracted to repeat the operation above described.

In situations where the folded boxes being stacked are relatively wide and might tend to sag when restrained by the plungers 1G3, 113, it is desirable to provide an intermediate support such as shown in FIG. 1 and FIGS. 9-41.

Thus, an air solenoid S is mounted to extend over the plate 127 and supported by brackets B secured to plate 124. The solenoid is energized to operate in the same manner as solenoids 1li7, 112 so that when the plungers 141%, 113 thereof are extended, the plunger P of solenoid S will also be extended to support the mid portion of the front edge of the intermediate stack.

Although the equipment as above described has been shown with two photoelectric cells to control its operation with one of the photoelectric cells being actuated when the stack reaches a predetermined height, it is within the scope of the invention to use a single photoelectric cell as the control means and to have the height of the stack based upon the number of folded boxes resting on the plungers 108, 113.

Thus, referring to FIG. 12, a control circuit is shown employing a single photoelectric cell 161.

The photoelectric cell 161 is connected through a suitable amplifier 162 to a counting unit 163 of any suitable type which has two controls C-1 and C2, the first dctermining the height of the intermediate stack based upon the number of folded boxes resting on plungers 108, 1 13 and the second determining the number of folded boxes in the final stack to be formed.

The output of the counter 163 controlled by the setting of control C-1, C-2 are connected to one end of the coils 164, 165 of relays 166, 167, the other end of the coils of said relays being connected to ground.

Relay 166 has fixed contacts 163, 169, the former being normally engaged by contact arm 171 when relay 166 is dc-energized and the latter normally having its contact arm 172 spaced therefrom. Contact 168 is connected to ground and contact arm 171 is connected to one end of the coil of a solenoid valve 17 3, the other end of said coil being connected to positive. The valve 173 when energized will supply air under pressure to air cylinders 15. 7, 112 to urge the plungers 1118, 113 thereof to extended position and when valve 173 is de-energized the plungers 1G3, 113 will be spring returned to retracted position.

The contact arm 172 is connected to positive and the fixed contact 169 is connected through the normally closed contacts 175, 176 of relay 167 to the end of the coil 164 of relay 166 remote from the grounded end thereof.

Relay 167 also has an additional pair of contacts 177, 178 and 179, 181. The contacts 177 and 179 are both connected to ground. The contact 173 is connected to one end of the coil of a time delay relay 182, the other end being connected to one end of the coil of solenoid valve 183, the other end of said coil being connected to positive.

The valve 183 when energized will supply air under pressure to air cylinder 128 to urge the plunger 126 thereof to extended position and when valve 183 is de-energized the plunger 126 will be spring returned to retracted position.

The fixed contact 181 is connected to the counter 163 to reset the latter after each stack has been formed.

In the operation of the system, shown in FIG. 12, assuming that control C1 is set to 8 and control C-2 is set to 20, and the relay contacts are in the position shown, when eight boxes have passed the photoelectric cell 161, the relay 166 will be energized.

As a result its contacts 168, 171 will open to break the circuit to valve 173 so that the plungers 168, 113 will be spring returned to permit the stack of eight boxes to drop.

Closing of contacts 169, 172 will provide a holding circuit, through normally closed contacts 175, 176 of relay 167, for relay 166 so that it will remain energized, keeping valve 173 de-energized.

Folded boxes will be dropped into the hopper past photoelectric cell 161 until say 20 boxes have been counted. At this time relay 167 will be energized, momentarily opening its contacts 175, 176 and closing its contacts 177, 173 and 179, 181.

Opening of contacts 175, 176 will break the holding circuit for relay 166 so that its contacts 168, 171 will again close to energize valve 173 so that plungers 108, 113 will again be extended.

Closing of contacts 177, 178 will energize time delay relay 132 and after a few seconds suflicient to permit the last box to fall on the stack, valve 183 will be energized to cause the plunger 126 to extend so that pusher member 127 will move the stack laterally away from the hopper. Thereupon, valve 183 will be de-energized by the time delay relay 132 and the plunger 126 will be spring returned to its retracted position.

Closing of contacts 178, 181 will reset the counter for the next cycle.

It is also within the scope of the invention to have more than one intermediate stack formed. Thus, as diametrically shown in FIG. 13, another set of plungers P corresponding to plungers 1G8, 113 could be provided below the latter.

In the operation of such a system after a stack has been built up on the upper plungers 108, 113, it would be dropped on the lower plungers P and after another stack had been built up on the upper plungers, both stacks could be dropped and the resultant stack built up to the desired count.

With such a system the drop of the individual boxes would be further minimized.

As the control circuit necessary to effect the operation With the equipment above described, dependable counting of folded boxes may be effected without any interruption in the continuous operation of the equipment and while a stack containing a desired number of boxes is being formed.

By reason of the formation of the intermediate stack,

heating of individual folded boxes to the bottom of a deep hopper is minimized as such intermediate stack is of relatively considerable height and weight and is first dropped to the floor or base of "he hopper to greatly reduce the depth thereof and only then will individual folded boxes be permitted to drop into the hopper to the top of the stack that has been deposited on the floor thereof.

The equipment above described thus provided uniform and neat stacks that may readily be handled by an operator for tying without need for rearranging the stack due to the fact that one or more of the folded boxes may have become out of alignment and extend from the body of the stack. Such misalignment would necessitate realignment, for if the stack was tied with one or more of the folded boxes extencing therefrom, the edge of such box would be cut or broken by the tying operation.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of he claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Equipment for automatically forming and ejecting stacks of folded boxes comprising a vertical hopper having an inlet at its upper end and a base at its lower end on which a stack of folded boxes each in substantially horizontal position may be formed, said hopper comprising a pair of vertical, spaced strips defining the sides f the hopper at the rear thereof, a pair of vertical, spaced end strips pivotally mounted with respect to said side strips, resilient means normally urging said vertical end strips inwardly respectively from the rear edges of said side strips, each pair of adjacent strips defining a rear corner of said hopper, a pair of vertical, spaced rollers positioned adjacent the lower end of the hopper to the rear respectively of the rear corners thereof, means to actuate said rollers, means to space the rear corners of the hopper by a distance slightly greater than the width of the stack and to space said rollers by a distance slightly less than the width of the stack, means to count individual folded boxes during the course of their dropping movement through said inlet down the hopper, means to intercept the folded boxes during the course of their dropping movement down the hopper to form an intermediate stack of folded boxes, while still counting the individual folded boxes durin the course of their movement through said inlet, means after such intermediate stack has attained a predetermined height, to release said intercepting means to permit such intermediate stack to fall to said base, means after a predetermined number of folded boxes have been counted to again intercept the folded boxes prior to their deposit on the stack formed on said base, a pusher member positioned adjacent the stack on the side thereof opposed to said rollers, means to move said pusher member laterally against said stack to pivot the end strips outwardly and to move the stack past said end strips between said rollers to be advanced thereby away from the lower end of the hopper and clear of the latter and means to thereupon release said intercepting means to form another stack on said base.

2. Equipment for automatically forming and ejecting stacks of folded boxes comprising a Vertical hopper having an inlet at its upper end and a base at its lower end on which a stack of folded boxes, each in substantially horizontal position may be formed, a pair of transversely spaced drive assemblies, a pair of vertical, spaced side strips carried by said drive assemblies respectively and defining the sides of the hopper at the rear thereof, a pair of vertical, spaced end stri pivotally mounted with respect to said side strips, resilient means normally urging said vertical end strips inwardly respectively from the rear edges of said side strips, each pair of adjacent strips defining a rear corner of said hopper, a pair of vertical, spaced rollers carried by said drive assemblies respectively and positioned adjacent the lower end of the hopper to the rear respectively of the rear corners thereof, means to actuate said rolers, a pair of spaced parallel horizontal bars mounting said drive assemblies respectively, means to efreet movement of the drive assemblies along the length of the bars, means to effect relative movement of said bars toward and away from each other, whereby the horizontal dimensions of the hopper may be adjusted, means to count individual folded boxes during the course of their dropping movement through said inlet down the hopper, means to intercept the folded boxes during the course of their dropping movement down the hopper to form an intermediate stack of folded boxes, while still counting the individual folded boxes during the course of their movement through said inle means after such intermediate stack has attained a predetermined height, to release said intercepting means to permit such intermediate stack to fall to said base, means after a predetermined number of folded boxes have been counted to again intercept the folded boxes prior to their deposit on the stack formed on said base, means to thereupon effect lateral movement of such stack away from the lower end of the hopper and clear of the latter and means to thereupon release said intercepting means to form another stack on said base.

3. Equipment for automatically forming and ejecting stacks of folded boxes comprising a vertical hopper having an inlet at its upper end and a base at its lower end on which a stack of folded boxes each in substantially horizontal position may be formed, means to count individual folded boxes during the course of their dropping movement through said linet down the hopper, means to intercept the folded boxes during the course of their dropping movement down the hopper to form an intermediate stack of folded boxes, while still counting the individual folded boxes during the course of their movement through said inlet, additional intercepting means positioned in a horizontal plane below that of said first intercepting means, to form an additional intermediate stack, means after the first intermediate stack has attained a predetermined height to release said first intercepting means so that the first intermediate stack is intercepted by the additional intercepting means and thereupon to again intercept the boxes with said first intercepting means, means after another stack on said first intercepting means has attained a predetermined height to release both intercepting means to permit both of said intermediate stacks to fall on said base, means after a predetermined number of folded boxes have been counted to again intercept the folded boxes prior to their deposit on the stack formed on said base, means to thereupon effect lateral movement of such stack away from the lower end of the hopper and clear of the latter and means to thereupon release said intercepting means to form another stack on said base.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. EQUIPMENT FOR AUTOMATICALLY FORMING AND EJECTING STACKS OF FOLDED BOXES COMPRISING A VERTICAL HOPPER HAVING AN INLET AT ITS UPPER END AND A BASE AT ITS LOWER END ON WHICH A STACK OF FOLDED BOXES EACH IN SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL POSITION MAY BE FORMED, SAID HOPPER COMPRISING A PAIR OF VERTICAL, SPACED STRIPS DEFINING THE SIDES OF THE HOPPER AT THE REAR THEREOF, A PAIR OF VERTICAL, SPACED END STRIPS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED WITH RESPECT TO SAID SIDE STRIPS, RESILIENT MEANS NORMALLY URGING SAID VERTICAL END STRIPS INWARDLY RESPECTIVELY FROM THE REAR EDGES OF SAID SIDE STRIPS, EACH PAIR OF ADJACENT STRIPS DEFINING A REAR CORNER OF SAID HOPPER, A PAIR OF VERTICAL, SPACED ROLLERS POSITIONED ADJACENT THE LOWER END OF THE HOPPER TO THE REAR RESPECTIVELY OF THE REAR CORNERS THEREOF, MEANS TO ACTUATE SAID ROLLERS, MEANS TO SPACE THE REAR CORNERS OF THE HOPPER BY A DISTANCE SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THE WIDTH OF THE STACK AND TO SPACE SAID ROLLERS BY A DISTANCE SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THE WIDTH OF THE STACK, MEANS TO COUNT INDIVIDUAL FOLDED BOXES DURING THE COURSE OF THEIR DROPPING MOVEMENT THROUGH SAID INLET DOWN THE HOPPER, MEANS TO INTERCEPT THE FOLDED BOXES DURING THE COURSE OF THEIR DROPPING MOVEMENT DOWN THE HOPPER TO FORM AN INTERMEDIATE STACK OF FOLDED BOXES, WHILE STILL COUNTING THE INDIVIDUAL FOLDED BOXES DURING THE COURSE OF THEIR MOVEMENT THROUGH SAID INLET, MEANS AFTER SUCH INTERMEDIATE STACK HAS ATTAINED A PREDETERMINED HEIGHT, TO RELEASE SAID INTERCEPTING MEANS TO PERMIT SUCH INTERMEDIATE STACK TO FALL TO SAID BASE, MEANS AFTER A PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF FOLDED BOXES HAVE BEEN COUNTED TO AGAIN INTERCEPT THE FOLDED BOXES PRIOR TO THEIR DEPOSIT ON THE STACK FORMED ON SAID BASE, A PUSHER MEMBER POSITIONED ADJACENT THE STACK ON THE SIDE THEREOF OPPOSED TO SAID ROLLERS, MEANS TO MOVE SAID PUSHER MEMBER LATERALLY AGAINST SAID STACK TO PIVOT THE END STRIPS OUTWARDLY AND TO MOVE THE STACK PAST SAID END STRIPS BETWEEN SAID ROLLERS TO BE ADVANCED THEREBY AWAY FROM THE LOWER END OF THE HOOPER AND CLEAR OF THE LATTER AND MEANS TO THEREUPON RELEASE SAID INTERCEPTING MEANS TO FORM ANOTHER STACK ON SAID BASE. 